Our tips for your safety on Kogao

So that you can buy and sell safely on Kogao, we've put together the most important safety tips and info for you here. Just click to jump straight to them.

1. The STP rule: Stop, Think, Protect

Fraud patterns change constantly! Your best safeguard is therefore a general awareness of the topic.

The STP rule is a simple mnemonic that helps you keep a cool head in any situation:

Stop

Take your time and don't let yourself be pressured.

Fraudsters often push for quick decisions because their scheme is about to be exposed.

Think

Be wary of “too good” offers and account takeovers.

If an offer is unrealistically cheap, stay sceptical, even if it comes from a “trustworthy” account. Ask yourself: why is the other person acting this way? And: what would I do?

Protect

Noticing inconsistencies or suspecting fraud?

Report it to warn and protect others. Every report helps make Kogao safer.

2. Preventing account takeovers and data theft

Preventing account takeovers

1. Use two-factor authentication as soon as it is available

It increases your account security by requiring an additional confirmation of your identity on top of the password.

2. Never reuse a password

Using unique passwords significantly reduces the risk of an account takeover. Ideally, use a password manager.

Preventing data theft

1. Recognise fake Kogao messages

Example of a fake email
Example of a fake chat message

2. Only trust emails from these senders

@kogao.de
@mail.kogao.de
@info.kogao.de
@news.kogao.de

3. Examples of fake Kogao messages

A fake email, recognisable for example by:

Wrong sender
The sender address is none of those listed above. Instead it may contain typos or unusual combinations of numbers and letters.
Unnatural language
Phrasing and wording feel unusual and formal, or contain typos.
Suspicious buttons
Buttons sound odd and take you to pages where you're asked to fill in data.

More about phishing emails

A fake chat message, recognisable for example by:

Wrong sender
The message allegedly comes from Kogao, but was written by the person you're chatting with.
Unnatural language
Phrasing and wording feel unusual and formal, or contain typos.
Request for personal data
You're asked to post personal data in the chat.
Disclosure of personal data
The other person posts personal data in the chat themselves.

4. Paying and picking up safely

Paying safely

Prefer payment methods with buyer and seller protection that cover you in case of non-delivery or items that differ from the description.
Never pay via Western Union, PaySafe, MoneyGram or cash in an envelope.
If you use PayPal, always use the “Goods and Services” option so you're covered by PayPal Buyer Protection.

Picking up safely

Choose busy places for handovers and bring someone with you for larger amounts.
Be careful if the seller rules out pickup or suddenly changes the meeting point.

Further links

Want to learn more about how to protect yourself from online fraud? Here are a few helpful links:

Please report suspicious and fake emails to us and forward them to: [email protected]

How we protect you

Fraud detection: We use technology to detect and prevent fraudulent listings and activity early on.

Teamwork: Our team actively monitors and responds quickly to user reports about suspicious or fraudulent content.

Help from users: We encourage our users to report suspicious content via the report function on listings, profiles and in the chat.

Cooperation with authorities: We cooperate with the authorities and support investigations to ensure a safe marketplace.

Safe payment: We are expanding safe payment methods with buyer and seller protection that secure both parties, especially for shipped deals.

Information: Our help centre has plenty of information on safety and how to protect yourself.

Thank you for your support, we are always committed to your safety!

These notes are general recommendations and do not constitute legal advice. Kogao is a classifieds marketplace and is not a party to the deals concluded between users.